Bill > H1228

This bill requires various insurance providers in Massachusetts, including the Group Insurance Commission, health insurers, hospital service plans, medical service agreements, and health maintenance organizations, to cover preventive behavioral health services for children under 21 and infants with caregivers experiencing post-partum depression. The services include up to six sessions of short-term interventions delivered in individual, family, or group settings, focusing on developing coping skills for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other emotional concerns. These services can be provided by licensed behavioral health clinicians or supervised trainees in pediatric primary care, community outpatient, and school settings, and must be offered without prior authorization and with no patient cost-sharing (except in specific tax-related circumstances). Additionally, insurance providers must accept alternative diagnosis codes, such as Social Determinants of Health Z-codes, when providers submit claims for these preventive services. The bill aims to support early intervention in children's mental health by making these preventive services more accessible and affordable, with the Division of Insurance and Office of Medicaid tasked with developing implementation guidance.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1228